1. Describe the stasis in the play: where, when, who, what, etc. in a paragraph. Rez Sisters takes place in late August of 1986. Pelajia, Philomena, Marie-Adele, Annie, Emily, Veronique, and Zhaboonigan are all women living on the Wasaychigan Hill Indian Reserve on Manitoulin Island in Ontario. Amidst the various wants, complaints, and comments of the characters, it becomes clear that their lives are ridden with poverty, alcoholism, domestic abuse. In fact, Pelajia summarizes life on the reserve in the opening scene: “No jobs. Nothing to do but drink and screw each other’s wives and husbands and forget about our Nanabush.” Nanabush, a god that takes on various guises over the course of the play, represents the essence of Indian culture. Ultimately, the image that the stasis portrays is that of a languishing society that is losing touch with its cultural roots.
2. What is the intrusion? The intrusion of the play occurs when the women find out about the Biggest Bingo in the World in Toronto. After hearing about the bingo, some of the women begin to declare what they will do with their prize money, making the trip a sudden reality. A fight breaks out and all of the sisters are suddenly insulting each other, revealing vast amount of detail about each of them and the interfamilial dynamics. Amidst the insults and arguing, the women come up with a plan to raise the money, make the trip, and attend the big bingo in Toronto. The rest of the play depicts the execution of this plan. Ultimately, the Toronto Bingo acts as a catalyst, motivating the characters to carry out the bulk of the play’s dramatic action: preparing for and eventually making the trip to Toronto.
3. What is the unique factor? The unique factor of Rez Sisters is that it begins the day that the seven sisters hear about and decide to go to The Biggest Bingo in the World in Toronto. This decision and journey composes the bulk of the dramatic action, triggers vast amounts of exposition, and brings about the conclusion of the play.
4. What is the dramatic question that should be answered by the end of the play? Over the course of Rez Sisters, the audience is guided through a series of questions. The initial question that arises with the intrusion is whether or not they go to bingo in Toronto or not. As the plot unfolds, the audience comes to learn that they do end up attending the bingo. However, amidst the preparation for their trip to Toronto, the audience is presented with another question: “Do the women win anything? /Are their lives improved by attending the bingo?” As the end of the play approaches, it becomes clear that their lives have indeed changed in small ways. More than anything, their attitudes towards one another mature and they have developed new, more progressive dreams about their positions in life.
5. Provide an illustration of the two kinds of exposition that the play has in it. The first kind of exposition of information that all the characters know, is the setting: the reservation. The audience knows the general setting of the play just by referencing the title. An example of the second type of exposition (information that only one or few of the characters know) occurs when Zhaboonigan confides to Nanabush about the ‘two white boys’ that put a ‘screwdriver’ in her and then left her in a bush. Zhaboonigan’s story about being raped shocks the audience and remains unknown to the rest of the cast.
6. Identify the most theatrical moment in the play and of what importance it seems to be. The most theatrical moment of the play is when Marie-Adele is taken by Nanabush from their world. This scene is eerily calm, as it follows a series of chaotic actions. This sharp contrast in atmosphere catches the attention of the audience. In addition to ‘lightning magic, this scene contains the most obvious and dramatic appearance that Nanabush, who remains ambiguous hitherto, makes throughout the play. Ultimately, this scene is the most theatrical and also contains the climax of the entire performance.
7. List some of the themes of the play. Some of the themes that arise in Rez Sisters are marginalization of minorities, being trapped by circumstance, death of traditional culture, and the self-perpetuating cycle of poverty-alcoholism-abuse-neglect.
8. What does the chief character want and what are some obstacles that stand in the way of her getting what she wants? I believe that Pelajia is the chief character. In addition to having the opening and closing lines of the play, she is, to some degree, the eyes through which the audience see the play. She provides details about the Reservation, both geographically/physically as well as socially (lifestyle, dynamics, atmosphere, etc.), painting the setting and pointing out key details necessary to understand the play.
9. Describe some possible images in the play and how does the title help us understand the play. Some of the images in Rez Sisters are the bingo game in Toronto, the Wasaychigan Hill Indian Reserve, and Nanabush. The title of the play references the Wasaychigan Hill Indian Reserve where the sisters all live is the reason they go on this whole journey; the reason why the women even go to Toronto bingo is to escape the reservation and the dismal way of life there. Furthermore, while the reserve represents their entrapment, the second image, ‘The Biggest Bingo in the World’, represents their way of escape. The title serves to highlight these dual-images, both depicting their poor life-circumstances and the underlying purpose of the entire play, their temporary escape. The third image of the play is Nanabush, the god who dances on the sidelines throughout the play, symbolizes the last shred of traditional Native American culture. Over the course of the play, the sister’s, despite leaving the reservation and making this trip, are constantly under the keen eye of Nanabush. No matter where they go or what they decide to do, their heritage, embodied by Nanabush, follows them. They will always be connected with the reservation and their people; they are inescapably Rez Sisters.
10. Briefly define the family relationships that are examined in the play. One of the main family relationships this play focuses (almost entirely) on is sisterhood. The way the play depicts the relationships between the seven women is chaotic and feisty; the interpersonal dynamics accurately capture sisterhood. Despite all their bickering and cruel insults throughout the play, their bond remains apparent. They stick together in spite of all their differences and disagreements. Essentially, in Rez Sisters, sisterhood is defined as this persisting bond that is as chaotic and violent as it is strong.
Rez Sisters takes place in late August of 1986. Pelajia, Philomena, Marie-Adele, Annie, Emily, Veronique, and Zhaboonigan are all women living on the Wasaychigan Hill Indian Reserve on Manitoulin Island in Ontario. Amidst the various wants, complaints, and comments of the characters, it becomes clear that their lives are ridden with poverty, alcoholism, domestic abuse. In fact, Pelajia summarizes life on the reserve in the opening scene: “No jobs. Nothing to do but drink and screw each other’s wives and husbands and forget about our Nanabush.” Nanabush, a god that takes on various guises over the course of the play, represents the essence of Indian culture. Ultimately, the image that the stasis portrays is that of a languishing society that is losing touch with its cultural roots.
2. What is the intrusion?
The intrusion of the play occurs when the women find out about the Biggest Bingo in the World in Toronto. After hearing about the bingo, some of the women begin to declare what they will do with their prize money, making the trip a sudden reality. A fight breaks out and all of the sisters are suddenly insulting each other, revealing vast amount of detail about each of them and the interfamilial dynamics. Amidst the insults and arguing, the women come up with a plan to raise the money, make the trip, and attend the big bingo in Toronto. The rest of the play depicts the execution of this plan.
Ultimately, the Toronto Bingo acts as a catalyst, motivating the characters to carry out the bulk of the play’s dramatic action: preparing for and eventually making the trip to Toronto.
3. What is the unique factor?
The unique factor of Rez Sisters is that it begins the day that the seven sisters hear about and decide to go to The Biggest Bingo in the World in Toronto. This decision and journey composes the bulk of the dramatic action, triggers vast amounts of exposition, and brings about the conclusion of the play.
4. What is the dramatic question that should be answered by the end of the play?
Over the course of Rez Sisters, the audience is guided through a series of questions. The initial question that arises with the intrusion is whether or not they go to bingo in Toronto or not. As the plot unfolds, the audience comes to learn that they do end up attending the bingo. However, amidst the preparation for their trip to Toronto, the audience is presented with another question: “Do the women win anything? /Are their lives improved by attending the bingo?” As the end of the play approaches, it becomes clear that their lives have indeed changed in small ways. More than anything, their attitudes towards one another mature and they have developed new, more progressive dreams about their positions in life.
5. Provide an illustration of the two kinds of exposition that the play has in it.
The first kind of exposition of information that all the characters know, is the setting: the reservation. The audience knows the general setting of the play just by referencing the title.
An example of the second type of exposition (information that only one or few of the characters know) occurs when Zhaboonigan confides to Nanabush about the ‘two white boys’ that put a ‘screwdriver’ in her and then left her in a bush. Zhaboonigan’s story about being raped shocks the audience and remains unknown to the rest of the cast.
6. Identify the most theatrical moment in the play and of what importance it seems to be.
The most theatrical moment of the play is when Marie-Adele is taken by Nanabush from their world. This scene is eerily calm, as it follows a series of chaotic actions. This sharp contrast in atmosphere catches the attention of the audience. In addition to ‘lightning magic, this scene contains the most obvious and dramatic appearance that Nanabush, who remains ambiguous hitherto, makes throughout the play. Ultimately, this scene is the most theatrical and also contains the climax of the entire performance.
7. List some of the themes of the play.
Some of the themes that arise in Rez Sisters are marginalization of minorities, being trapped by circumstance, death of traditional culture, and the self-perpetuating cycle of poverty-alcoholism-abuse-neglect.
8. What does the chief character want and what are some obstacles that stand in the way of her getting what she wants?
I believe that Pelajia is the chief character. In addition to having the opening and closing lines of the play, she is, to some degree, the eyes through which the audience see the play. She provides details about the Reservation, both geographically/physically as well as socially (lifestyle, dynamics, atmosphere, etc.), painting the setting and pointing out key details necessary to understand the play.
9. Describe some possible images in the play and how does the title help us understand the play.
Some of the images in Rez Sisters are the bingo game in Toronto, the Wasaychigan Hill Indian Reserve, and Nanabush. The title of the play references the Wasaychigan Hill Indian Reserve where the sisters all live is the reason they go on this whole journey; the reason why the women even go to Toronto bingo is to escape the reservation and the dismal way of life there. Furthermore, while the reserve represents their entrapment, the second image, ‘The Biggest Bingo in the World’, represents their way of escape. The title serves to highlight these dual-images, both depicting their poor life-circumstances and the underlying purpose of the entire play, their temporary escape. The third image of the play is Nanabush, the god who dances on the sidelines throughout the play, symbolizes the last shred of traditional Native American culture. Over the course of the play, the sister’s, despite leaving the reservation and making this trip, are constantly under the keen eye of Nanabush. No matter where they go or what they decide to do, their heritage, embodied by Nanabush, follows them. They will always be connected with the reservation and their people; they are inescapably Rez Sisters.
10. Briefly define the family relationships that are examined in the play.
One of the main family relationships this play focuses (almost entirely) on is sisterhood. The way the play depicts the relationships between the seven women is chaotic and feisty; the interpersonal dynamics accurately capture sisterhood. Despite all their bickering and cruel insults throughout the play, their bond remains apparent. They stick together in spite of all their differences and disagreements. Essentially, in Rez Sisters, sisterhood is defined as this persisting bond that is as chaotic and violent as it is strong.